House of Glass: Corning Museum Hosts Wake and Wander

When I was offered a chance to check out the Corning Museum of Glass I jumped on it – not because museums overly excite me, moreso because blowing glass has always intrigued me.

It’s an amazing procedure and even more impressive when you see it in person, when you see them twirling around this taffy-like substance that will ultimately become something that graces your countertop or cabinet.

I had the opportunity to get my hands dirty by making a pumpkin – which I am going to pick up today. It will probably look amazing – I really didn’t do much. It was a fun experience to get behind the curtain and next to the ovens, but I sat on a wooden bench and blew into the end of the rod when the instructor told me to… and that’s about it ($25).

I’d recommend my experience for the kids, but adults should try out “flameworking.” It is much more hands-on and my guest literally got to manipulate glass in a 4,000-degree flame ($17).

Other demonstrations: Flamingworking, Optical Fiber, and Glassbreaking. I unfortunately didn’t get to see any of them due to the timing of the day, but I am really curious about the glassbreaking session.

The museum basically breaks down into two sections: The traditional museum and an interactive area called the Glass Innovation Center. While the exhibits had many impressive pieces, we found it far more fun to play around and learn about the process and technology of glassmaking (in the Glass Innovation Center).

I’m on the run again – heading now to Syracuse to check out Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and, I believe, a comedy club.

Some photos – more to come on Facebook when I get a better Internet connection.